Ladbrokes League One

ALBION ROVERS 1

AYR UNITED 3

by Calum Campbell

ON the opening day of the league season Ayr had travelled to Coatbridge and returned with a bloodied nose and no points having fallen behind in only the second minute and being deservedly beaten 3-0.

With Ayr still suffering a string of injuries, and centre back Gerry McLauchlan suspended, many fans felt that Saturday’s fixture would be an extremely difficult encounter, but on the contrary it proved to be a gutsy and relatively easy win for the visitors, who this time took a second minute lead and never looked back.

United gaffer Ian McCall couldn’t hide his delight at the performance of his team and the manner in which they played and said: "We moved the ball around very well and should have been 4, 5, or 6 ahead by the end”.

McCall praised the performances of all of his team with special mentions for Ryan Stevenson, Jordan Preston, Mikey Donald, Michael Moore, and young midfielder Mick Wardrope who he had been recalled from a loan spell at Glenafton.

Ayr opened at pace, immediately pressurising the Albion Rovers defence - a tactic that would continue for the whole 90 minutes. With less than two minutes on the clock Ryan Stevenson whipped a curling free-kick into the box which centre half Mick Dunlop failed to fully head clear. From around 16 yards out Jordan Preston composed himself before driving the ball high into the right-hand corner of the net.

Before Albion Rovers could recompose themselves they were two goals down, and what a goal was. Stevenson gained possession some 25 yards out and fired a screaming drive into the top corner of the net.

In eight minutes Rovers came close with McBride breaking through but his flick towards the goals was hooked off the line by Peter Murphy.

Things didn’t get better for the Albion when in 16 minutes experienced striker John Gemmell suffered an ankle injury and had to be replaced by Callum McRobbie.

Albion’s only chance came in 19 minutes and this was from a set piece. A corner from the right seem to evade all the United defenders and gave Michael Dunlop a free header from only six yards but he somehow managed to knock this high and wide.

Ayr were still pushing forward and eight minutes later a neat and precise passing move between Alan Forrest, Craig Moore and Preston created space for the young striker to hit a shot which David Stewart got down well to save.

United went further ahead in 42 minutes when Wardrope collected the ball and moved forward laying it off to Stevenson who half-volleyed from over 30 yards sending the ball crashing off the underside of the bar, leaving the hapless Stewart floundering but the ball bouncing back into open play. Preston was first to react and pounced strongly heading the ball into the net.

Off the ball, in the build-up to the goal, there was an unsavoury event with Albion Rovers Josh Mullin appearing to elbow Mikey Donald full in the face. leaving the defender flat-out on the pitch and the nearby United supporters howling for a red card but the officials had failed to notice the incident

In 52 minutesStevenson again came close with a free-kick from just outside the box fizzing narrowly wide.

As Ayr pushed forward Forrest, Moore, and Preston were all thwarted by last-second tackles or blocked shots.

Albion had a chance when Scott McBride sent a free header from within the six-yard box well wide.

In 72 minutes Wardrope showed a delightful piece of skill picking the ball up and then striking it towards goal from some 25-yards out only to see it smack off the base of the post and go wide.

Stevenson again came close to a 20-yard drive which went just over the bar.

With such a good performance the biggest disappointment came on full-time with Albion Rovers claiming a consolation goal that they barely deserved. As Ayr backed off the ball was played in from the left, flicked forward into the box and substitute Ally Love ran in to place the ball past Greg Fleming and into the net..

AYR UNITED: Fleming;Devlin, Donald, Graham, Murphy, Stevenson, Wardrope, Forrest, Preston, Trouten, Moore Substitutes Newman (GK), Muir, McCracken, Crawford, McKenzie, Gilmour.

STARMAN

Ryan Stevenson 3

Jordan Preston 2

Mikey Donald 1